Tips for Tick and Mosquito Prevention

In this article, Jerry Simons offers a comprehensive list and explanation of precautions you and your family can take to prevent bug bites that have the potential to cause serious illness.

“Tickborne diseases are totally preventable! One bite can make you sick and change your life!” – Thomas Mayer, tickencounter.org

“Ticks are abundant and annoying.” – Pehr Kalm (Swede traveling in the US 1748-1750)

- THE BASICS -

1. PREVENTION IS VITAL

Since many ticks are so small, you may never know you have had a tick bite, or not realize it until the tick is engorged!

May through July are the highest risk months due to intense nymphal activity

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you “take preventive measures against ticks year-round.” Although most tick bites occur in late spring and summer, there is a potential for tick exposure throughout the year.

Taking two or three 400mg capsules ofastragalusdaily may help prevent transmission of Lyme – a good idea if you know you will be in a tick-endemic area!

Many have said that ticks can “sense garlic.” Consider loading up on odor-free oral garlic supplements 3 days before an outdoor activity.

2. USE A TWO LAYER APPROACH

Put protectant on your skin as well as your clothing.

Essential oils like lavender, geranium, and rosemary on the skin PLUS permethrin– an insecticide that mimics chrysanthemum’s natural insect-repelling qualities – on clothing are amazing at warding off ticks and killing any that come in contact with your clothing.

Mosquitos will thrive in your yard or balcony, even in a bottle cap sized collection of water. Eliminate all standing water, especially bird baths!

6. KEEP TICK CARRIERS OFF YOUR PROPERTY

Micetransmit the most ticks that make people sick! Eliminating mice greatly reduces the amount of Lyme transmission. Eradicating mice from your property is essential in eliminating disease-carrying ticks!

Eliminate mouse havens from your home and property by removing:

Wood piles

Rock walls

Leaf piles

Preventdeerfrom entering your property with tall fences.

Do not attractbirdsto your yard – birds can easily carry ticks. This is why Central Park has so many ticks! Eliminate bird baths and bird feeders.

Ticks love moisture – under a tree, or after a rainstorm – avoid these situations when possible!

9. IF YOU NEED TO GO INTO A RISKY AREA...

Check yourself frequentlywhile still outside andimmediatelywhen you get home:

Ticks can be as small as the period at the end of this sentence to a sesame seed size adult tick. Ticks that have fed can become as large an eraser head.

Carry a lint roller with you to roll over clothing and pick up small ticks.

Shower as soon as you get home and do another tick check.

Remember, some tick infections can be transmitted in 15 minutes, so never wait to remove a tick!

See below for tick removal instructions.

10. IF YOU DO GET A RASH...

…photograph it daily. Use a ruler on the skin to document size. See below for more details.

- PREVENTION -

1. NATURAL PESTICIDES

A mixture of the insecticide chemical permethrin and potassium salt is a natural and safe way to reduce the presence of ticks. You can find it as a liquid concentrate and as granules at many home improvement stores.

How to use natural pesticides:

If liquid insecticides are used, apply by fogging, not by coarse sprays.

Apply in a few-feet-wide strip at the perimeter of your lawn, and in any areas adjacent to woods and underbrush.

Treat any ornamental shrubs near the house that may house small animals.

The best time to apply these products is in late spring; I recommend you use them monthly around the border of your home.

In particularly tick-endemic areas (Northeast, Wisconsin, etc.), more frequent treatments of permethrin are required to significantly reduce the tick population.

2. INSECTICIDES

Consider treating your property in the spring with a product called “Damminix,” cardboard tubes containing cotton balls that have been dipped in insecticide.

How to use:

Place these tubes around your property in wooded areas and below shrubs.

Mice, a key link in the propagation of Lyme disease, find the cotton and bring it back to their burrows use it as nesting material, precipitating a big decreasein the number of ticks in your yard.

Unfortunately, after two years, tick populations may rise again as other small animals that do not gather cotton become hosts to the ticks. Therefore, Damminix alone is not recommended; supplement with cedar oil or lavender oil drops or sprays and additional precautions listed above.

3. INSIDE YOUR HOME

If you’re finding ticks regularly,keep a sticky tape-type lint roller handy to pick up unattached ticks from clothing or pets. Use any type of sticky tape to cleanly capture ticks in your home.

4. CLOTHING

Wear long pants.

Tuck the cuffsinto your socks so any ticks on your shoes or socks will crawl on the outside of your pants and be less likely to bite.

Consider using ‘duct tape’ sticky side out to capture ticks crawling on you.

Tick repellents containing “permethrin” are meant to be sprayed on your clothing. In areas where ticks are strongly endemic, this step is critical to really reduce your risk!

Spray clothes before you put them on, and let them dry first.

Do not apply this chemical directly to your skin.

One application is usually good for 6-10 washings; apply monthly to clothing and shoes.

Ticks cannot tolerate being dried out. After being outdoors in an infested area, place your clothes in the dryer for at least 10 minutes to kill any ticks, then wash them as you normally would (with lavender soap and dryer sheets!). While your clothing is initially in the dryer, take a shower to wash off any unattached ticks and do atick check: check all over your body, including the groin, head, and underarms, and have someone check your scalp. A lint roller works great to pick up small and hard-to-spot ticks.

On a budget? It’s easy to make your own repellent:Easy Citrus Insect Repellent for Skin

Boil 2 whole lime & lemon peels in 4oz of water.

Let it cool.

Mist onto the skin with a spray pump bottle.

Needs to be applied regularly, every 3-4 hours.

Adding ice makes it refreshing on a hot day!

Easy Essential Oil Insect Repellent for Skin

Mix 25 drops of three of the following essential oils with a carrier oil like almond oil to create a natural repellent: rosemary, geranium, basil, cedar, cinnamon, lemon, lavender, and pennyroyal. Apply directly to the skin.

- TO DEET OR NOT TO DEET -

Many people are, understandably, concerned about using DEET – a common insect repellent – due to its toxic reputation. TheEnvironmental Working Groupand arecent studyperformed at the University of New Mexico still support the efficacy of DEET as one of the most effective insect repellents; I believe insect repellents containing DEET aresomewhateffective when applied to the arms, legs, and around the neck; I also believe many ticks are becoming resistant to it. In addition to DEET, there are many naturally based repellents, especially useful for children, as noted above.

My bottom line regarding DEET:For someone who is frequently exposed to ticks or frequently spends time in tick-endemic areas, the level of protection from occasional exposure to a chemical in a high-risk environment outweighs the thousands of dollars of bloodwork and other potential long-term consequences of a tick bite.

If you do use DEET or other insect repellents:

Do not use any repellent over wide areas of the body as they can be absorbed,causing toxicity.

Do not use a product that contains more than 30% DEET. The concentration of a bug repellent is related only to how long the protection will last, not how effective it is at keeping bugs off your skin.

- IF YOU DO FIND A TICK -

How to remove an attached tick:

All tick bites are potentially dangerous, even with short attachment times.

Do NOT use your fingers to remove a tick.Buy a pair of fine-tipped tweezers in advance; keep one in the car, home, pocket, etc. If using tweezers to remove a tick, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out. Apply an antiseptic. Do not try to irritate them with heat or chemicals, or grasp them by the body, as this may cause the tick to become irritated and inject more germs into your skin.

Save the tick.By saving the actual tick and sending it to a tick-testing lab (we are currently recommending tickcheck.com), the species can be identified and the specimen can be tested to accurately determine what kind of infections it may have transmitted to you. For instance, a Lone Star Tick tends to carry Ehrlichia and Alpha-Gal, two Lyme coinfections. The Deer Tick tends to carry Lyme Disease, while the American Dog Tick tends to carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Tape the tick to a cardand record the date and location of the bite and where you were when bitten, then call your physician. Remember, the sooner the tick is removed, the less likely you are to get ill.

Photograph and measure any rashes. Trace rashes with wax paper to keep track of the size.

If the tick is embedded, have a medical professional remove the tick with a small shave or punch biopsy. This is the ideal way to remove the entire tick, any regional germs in the skin and prevent long term itch and irritation at the site.

- A NOTE ABOUT PETS -

Speak to your vet for advice on the most up-to-date prevention measures. Often multiple layers of protection are required.

Dogs are especially attractive targets for ticks and are very susceptible to tick bites and tick-borne diseases (TBDs). Vaccines are not available for all of the TBDs dogs can get, and they don’t keep the dogs from bringing ticks into your home. It’s therefore important to use a tick preventive product on your dog.And do not let them in your bed!

Tick bites on dogs may be hard to detect. Signs of tick-borne disease may not appear for 21 days or longer after a tick bite, so watch your dog closely for changes in behavior or appetite if you suspect your pet has been bitten by a tick. Check your pets for ticks daily, especially after they spend time outdoors. If you find a tick on your dog, remove it right away. Ask your veterinarian to conduct a tick check at each exam.

- KILL TICKS ON DOGS -

A pesticide product that kills ticks is known as an acaricide. Acaricides that can be used on dogs include dusts, impregnated collars, sprays, or topical treatments. Some acaricides kill the tick on contact. Others may be absorbed into the bloodstream of a dog and kill ticks that attach and feed.

Using an acaricide can help to reduce the number of ticks in the environment and prevent TBDs. Remember that, in dogs, tick bites can cause a painful wound and may become infected.

When bitten, a dog may become infected with a number of diseases. This depends on the type of tick, which diseases it is carrying (if any), and how quickly a product kills the feeding tick. Examples of topically-applied products include Fipronil, permethrin, and Amitraz.

Note: Cats are extremely sensitive to a variety of chemicals. Do not apply any insect acaricides or repellents to your cats without first consulting your veterinarian.

- FINAL THOUGHTS -

Do not let a fear of ticks ruin your summer! Use common sense: avoid tick areas, use repellent, check for ticks often and have your yard sprayed.

Could a vaccine be the ultimate in prevention?It would be difficult, as a vaccine would need to cover all 13 strains of Lyme, multiple viruses, Babesia parasites, and other bacterial infections to be totally protective.

Products mentioned are intended as examples only; no product endorsement is suggested or implied.

This list is not all-inclusive. Contact your medical provider or vet for up-to-date tips that work best for you.

WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK

This guide was written by Gerald Simons, PA and the health and nutrition experts at The Morrison Center. Our team is dedicated to helping you achieve optimal health through the treatment and prevention of disease.

Stephanie is a Holistic Nutrition Consultant and Emotional Freedom Technique practitioner with a passion for helping her clients fulfill their potential through both emotional and physical optimization.

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